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If you want to create a campground to go with a concert or festival, there are many factors to consider. Below is a list to get you started in planning. There are so many details. If you're going to do this right, you need to be extremely detail-oriented. It can be best to work with someone who has done it before.

Some of the most basic needs are drinking water, portapotties, hand washing stations, and showers. These can all be rented. There are companies that will send a big truck filled with potable water that can be used for drinking and showers. "Potable" means the water is clean and safe for drinking. It is safest to also use potable water for showers and misters, so there is no risk of bacterial infections in the water mist.

In hot weather, cooling stations are needed to keep campers from getting heat stroke. Misters are often used. A mister is a length of hose or piping with small holes in it, attached to a clean water source, that emits a fine mist. Usually the misters are mounted above head height, so people can stand under them. Sometimes misters are fronted with a fan, to spread the cooling mist. Other cooling stations are a dome or tent that has air conditioning.

Here are some links to companies that rent misters, portable showers, potable water trucks, portable toilets, etc. These are links to get you started so you can get an idea of what is available, space needed, and costs involved. Most of these sites have good photos of the equipment that is for rent and some even provide layout diagrams. Keep in mind, you have to use a company that delivers to the location of your event.

Another main need for any festival or campground is electricity. If there is not adequate on-site electricity (and there rarely is), you need to rent a generator. Here are some generator rental companies to get you started on understanding what is available and costs involved:

The links above are not recommendations, they are simply examples of companies you can explore to get started in finding what you need. Your choice of a company should include such factors as location, price and add-on prices, availability, reputation, customer service. Most such companies will be able to give you a lot of information. For example, if you tell a company that you will have a 2 day festival with 200 people present all day and night, the company can tell you how many toilets you will need, etc.

Here is a basic checklist to get you started in planning a concert or festival campground: (These are numbered for convenience, but all items are important.)

Zoning

Permits

Local laws

Inspections required

Campground temporary - can you get a permit for that?

Is the ground surface suitable to tents?

What must be done to the ground surface to make it suited for tents?

Surface cushioning, leveling, drainage

Flood plain areas?

Electric wires overhead?

Lighting danger?

Sewage and water run-off?

Presence of wildlife

Presence of mosquitoes, ants, mice, etc.

Presence of any endangered species

Insurance - how much and can you get it?

Water sources

Water for drinking.

Showers - are there any?

Toilets - can you rent portapotties? How many will be needed legally? Price them out.

Hand-washing stations

Servicing of portapotties, Cleaning several times per day

Toilet paper, paper towels, soap

Electricity

Basic Lighting

Trash bins and collection

Recycling

Clean-up during and afterwards

Security and safety

Layout done accurately to scale

Plotting the space, marking the space

Temporary fencing for exterior perimeter

Fencing to demark roads, areas, toilet area, etc.

Layout marked or fenced, "street" signs and space signs made and posted

Signage

Car Parking

Car parking layout – must follow recommended sizes

Parking accommodations for handicapped

In and out allowed? How many times per day?

Alcohol allowed in?

Layout to accommodate cars and camping; should not mix or dangerous

Picnic benches, tables, chairs?

Preparations for possible severe weather conditions

Having a central fire pit and shelter/ tent/ dome

Not allowing campfires

Propane and cook stoves allowed or not?

Establishing a business entity for accepting payments

Establishing a reservation system

Establishing reservation and refund policies

Camping price per car? per tent? Per person?

Campers should have ticket to event, show it to reserve campsite

Plan to have any “glamping” sites, that is glamorous camping with nice tents, furniture, etc, provided? (These rent for higher prices)

Need to run phone line for campsite business/ emergency contact within camp and to the outside? Buy/ rent satellite phones/ radios? (This can be especially true in a ravine, cave, mountain valley, deep forest area)

Note: some ticketing systems depend on availability of phone service/ wifi to check authenticity of tickets.

Food vendors

Food vendor licensing, permits, health department inspections

Presence of potable water for kitchens

Source of electricity for kitchens

Other vendors - sunscreen, insect repellent, flashlights, etc.

Possible entertainment on site

Cleanup, Damages, Repairs, Restitution, Trash, Recycling

Set-up Time needed in advance (How many days/ weeks?)

Break down / clean-up time needed after? (How many days?)

Tire treads, ground damage, resurfacing (especially if it rains)

Hiring people for entry gate security, layout, set up, security all day and night, EMTs, recycling, toilet maintenance, trash pickup.

Sue Basko

Sue Basko is a lawyer in California, Illinois, and is an attorney and counsellor of the U.S. Supreme Court. She works in law for music, film, design, indie journalism, protest law, and land use planning. She earned a Juris Doctorate graduating maga cum laude. She has a B.A. in Film and Video and attended graduate school in Radio/ TV/ Film with an emphasis on digital production, media law, and management. She has produced and directed hundreds of low-budget TV shows and videos, as well as doing video, audio, and lighting tech on many large-scale events. She made shows for such organizations as Chicago Public Libraries, Chicago Public Schools, National Strategy Forum, Art Institute of Chicago. She hired crews and handled budgets. She directed tech on a large scale rave style dance floor, with special effects and computer-controlled lights. She worked staff at Northwestern University School of Law with the classes in Trial Practice, Trial Advocacy, Negotiations, and National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA).

Susan Basko assisted with a 2012 study conducted by OSCE-ODIHR (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights). She participated in a summit of many nations in Vienna, Austria, where her legislative proposals regarding independent media use in protests/ public assemblies were adopted and sent to the 70+ member nations.

Recently, she attended a semester-long seminar course taught by Deray McKesson of Black Lives Matter fame at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. She also participated in Harvard University's School for Resistance.

CONTACT easily by email:

suebaskomusic@gmail.com

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